Beauty that comes at the expense of another creature isn’t beautiful at all. No animal should suffer just to make our cheeks rosier, lashes longer, or lips fuller. Thankfully, more and more people agree, which makes it so much easier to find great cruelty-free makeup and skincare subscription boxes! Read on for my favorites that are absolutely worth trying.
My Favorite Cruelty-Free Vegan Subscription Boxes at a Glance
If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to read through all my usual rambling, here’s a quick list of my top 5 favorite cruelty-free boxes.
Heads up: If you buy anything through the links below I’ll earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
- Best Overall: Vegancuts Monthly Beauty Box
- Best Mix of Skincare & Cosmetics: Bombay & Cedar: The Beauty Box
- Best “Mostly Makeup” Box: Medusa’s Makeup
- Best Cruelty-Free Lifestyle Beauty Box: Live Green Beauty & Lifestyle Box
- Best Luxury Beauty Box: Bath, Body & More by Hazelwood Soap Co.
Cruelty-Free Makeup & Skincare Subscription Boxes
As usual, I just have a couple of quick notes before we dive into my favorite cruelty-free subscription boxes.
First, cruelty-free and vegan aren’t the same thing to me. I don’t allow ingredients that involve slaughtering animals (like squalene), but I do allow animal-derived products that DO NOT involve killing.
I know many of you may feel that a product can’t be cruelty-free unless it’s also 100% devoid of any and ALL animal products, though. So I’ve noted which boxes are or are not vegan (according to the company) next to their title.
The first dozen of these boxes come from Cratejoy. They often have coupon codes, so make sure you watch for those on each box’s sales page. You’ll usually find them right above the “add to cart” button. The rest come from Amazon and elsewhere.
Last, all prices are accurate as of today and reflect the lowest possible price (usually for 3-12 month subscriptions). Got it? Good. Let’s dive in!
Oh, P.S.- I included video overviews for each box whenever possible.
1. Vegancuts Monthly Beauty Box (VEGAN obviously)
Vegancuts Monthly Beauty Box
The award-winning Vegancuts is one of the most popular cruelty-free subscription boxes, making it a good place to start. Each month, you get at least 4 vegan beauty & skincare products. For the most part they’re full-sized, but a few may be deluxe-sized samples. Either way, you’ll get at least $60-100 worth of stuff.
- What you get in each box: 4+ deluxe and full-sized items
- Frequency: Monthly
- Cost: $26.99+
2. Aster Skincare Box (VEGAN)
Aster Skincare Box
One of Cratejoy’s “Best in Category,” Aster’s vegan skincare box ships both fast and free. All of their items are unisex and designed for most skin types. They also donate a portion of their profits to help marginalized people in the Middle East.
- What you get in each box: 5-6 handcrafted cruelty-free skincare products
- Frequency: Monthly
- Cost: $49+
3. Bombay & Cedar: The Beauty Box (VEGAN)
Bombay & Cedar :: The Beauty Box
Bombay & Cedar is one of the few boxes on this list that includes cosmetics. So, it’s a great option if you want a good balance between vegan makeup AND skincare items each month. Every box comes with at least $120 worth of goodies, and they partner with 1% For The Planet to support conversation causes.
NOTE: I was on the fence about including this one because they don’t have the best rating on Cratejoy. But most of those reviews are well over a year old. Things were such a mess all over back then and it really does look like a great box. So I feel like they deserve another chance. That said, maybe order a one-off box to make sure you’re happy with it before committing to a longer subscription.
- What you get in each box: 5 – 6 Full And Deluxe Size Products
- Frequency: Monthly
- Cost: $31.95+
4. Live Green Beauty & Lifestyle Box (VEGAN)
Live Green Beauty & Lifestyle Box
Live Green is a great pick if you want more than just skincare products out of your cruelty-free subscription box. Along with cosmetics and beauty products, you’ll also receive some fun planet-friendly lifestyle & wellness goodies. The combined value ranges between $85-125, and all of the items come from small women-owned businesses.
They’re a relatively new company without any reviews on Cratejoy, but they have a 5-star rating from customers on their own site.
- What you get in each box: 4-5 full-sized cruelty-free beauty, wellness, and lifestyle goodies
- Frequency: Every other month
- Cost: $48
5. The Ethical Beauty & Wellness Box (VEGAN)
The Ethical Beauty & Wellness Box
The Ethical Beauty & Wellness Box offers up at least $80 (and sometimes up to $150) worth of clean plant-based items that are all handcrafted by Isabella’s Clearly in California. The quarterly box comes with skincare, haircare, and wellness remedies specifically designed for each season.
Like Live Green, they’re relatively new on Cratejoy and don’t have any reviews yet. But their products have stellar reviews over on Facebook.
- What you get in each box: 4+ luxury beauty and wellness products
- Frequency: Quarterly (every 3 months)
- Cost: $38.33+
6. Conscious Beauty Collective Self-Care Box (VEGAN)
Conscious Beauty Collective Self-Care Box
Fair warning, this is probably the priciest box on this list at $75+ per month. But you get $200+ worth of high-end luxury skincare products, so it’s also among the most valuable. Just the ointment in the picture above costs $85 on its own, and that Six Gldn moisturizer will run you $68!
All of the eco-friendly products come from indie and/or women-owned brands, so you’re supporting small businesses with your subscription.
- What you get in each box: 4-5 luxury high-end skincare products
- Frequency: Monthly
- Cost: $75+
7. Quarterly Natural Beauty Subscription Box (VEGAN)
Quarterly Natural Beauty Subscription Box
The Quarterly Natural Beauty Box from the London-based is another one that focuses entirely on small independent businesses. They release their boxes quarterly and curate all of the handmade items to fit the season.
Keep in mind that it ships from London, so it may take longer to arrive than other boxes.
- What you get in each box: 5 natural skincare products
- Frequency: Quarterly (every 3 months)
- Cost: $31.74+ (26.25 GBP, so it depends on the conversion rate)
8. Bath, Body & More by Hazelwood Soap Co. (VEGAN)
Bath, Body & More
As the name implies, this one also includes a little something “more” than just bath and body products (although those are the primary focus). The bath products are made by Hazelwood Soap Co. for the most part, but they may include items from other companies that they think you may like.
It’s another pricey one, but it’s only a quarterly box. So it could make a nice splurge or gift idea.
- What you get in each box: 5+ high-quality products with a total value of at least $120.
- Frequency: Quarterly
- Cost: $72+
9. Simple Skin Regimen Kit by J&L Naturals (VEGAN)
Simple Skin Regimen Kit
J & L Naturals’ Skin Regimen Kit is one of the few cruelty-free beauty boxes that let you customize your subscription specifically for your skin type. They offer 5 different options for mature, combination, dry, sensitive, and dull skin.
All of their products are vegan, all-natural, eco-friendly, and made in small batches.
- What you get in each box: 5 J & L Naturals products designed for your skin type
- Frequency: Monthly
- Cost: $37+
10. Essential Bi-Monthly Subscription by LOVE GOODLY (VEGAN)
Essential Bi-Monthly Subscription
Love Goodly’s bi-monthly box is another great option if you want a subscription box that gives back, as they support multiple causes including Uncle Neil’s Home and Farm Sanctuary.
- What you get in each box: The number of products varies, but they include a mix of cruelty-free skincare and lifestyle goodies. The total value is at least double the price of the box.
- Frequency: Bi-monthly (every other month)
- Cost: $34.95
That about covers it! There are a few more cruelty-free beauty boxes out there, but these are definitely the best of the bunch. As I said earlier, though, more and more people are turning to a cruelty-free lifestyle. So, hopefully we’ll see more options pop up every day.
J & L Naturals’ Skin Regimen Kit is one of the few cruelty-free beauty boxes that let you customize your subscription specifically for your skin type.
One of the rare cruelty-free beauty boxes that allows you to personalize your subscription according to your skin type is the Skin Regimen Kit by J & L Naturals.